Mixing apparatus



June 25, 1935. T. oBoYLE MIXING APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1934 Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES MIXING APPARATUS Thomas OBoyle, Cleveland, Tex., assignor of one-halt to Hugh Wright, Houston, Tex.

Application July 14, 1934-, Serial No. 735,295

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a mixing apparatus. An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described specially designed for mixing mud, commonly known as drilling fluid, to be used in drilling deep wells such as oil wells.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mixing apparatus of the character described having novel means for supplying the water used in the mixing process.

A further. object is to provide in a device of I the character described, novel means for releasing the dry material to be mixed from the sacks or other containers into the hopper of the mixing apparatus.

While the apparatus has been designed particularly for preparing mud laden drilling fluid, it is also adaptable for use in mixing cement and other similar material.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the apparatus, partly in section.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of a mixing nipple employed, and

Figures 4 and 5 respectively show opposite end views of said nipple.

In the drawing the numeral I designates a tubular container, one end of which is closed by the end cap 2 and whose other end has formed into an outlet spout through which the mixed material may be delivered into a suitable vat provided to receive the same. On the inlet end of the container there is a hopper 3. Secured to opposite sides of the hopper are the downwardly diverging legs I, 4 which are connected by means of the cross bar 5 which forms a support to maintain the hopper upright. Incorporated into the container I there is a tubular nipple 6. The nipple 6 has the series of cross fins l, 8 at opposite ends thereof. The ns of the series 1 are inclined the reverse of that of the ns 8 and said series of iins are spaced apart to provide an -unobstructed chamber 9 between them.

There is an inlet water line I0 entering through the cap 2 and terminating in a restricted nozzle II within the container I and underneath the hopper 3.' The water for mixing with the dry material enters under pressure through the line I0 and is discharged with increased velocity through the nozzle Il. There is a needle valve I2 located between the cap 2 and the hopper 3 and this needle valve is screwed through the wall of the container I. The water line II) has an opening I3 aligned with the valve I2 and said valve may be screwed through said opening to restrict, as desired, the passageway of the water line I0 and thus control the quantity of water delivered.

The material to be mixed with the water is introduced through the hopper 3 and is delivered from said hopper vinto the container I and mixed therein. v

This dry material is sometimes contained in sacks or similar containers made of fabric or paper and for the purpose of openingsaid containers a transverse blade I4 is located at or near the top of the hopper with its ends anchored to the sides of the hopper. The upper edge of the blade may be serrated if desired, as shown, When the sack is lifted above the hopper it may be drawn lengthwise along said blade and cut or ripped open and the contents of the sack or container readily discharged into the hopper.

There is an upstanding pipe I5, leading from the line I0 and provided with a nozzle pipe I6 which passes through the wall of the hopper and whose inner end I1 is downwardly curved. This nozzle pipe may be controlled by a suitable Valve I8 and is provided to discharge water into the.

lower end of thehopper 3 to prevent the dry material from congesting in and clogging the hopper.

Suiicient Water will be admitted into the hopper to form, with the dry material, a fluid mixture which will flow under pressure through the container I and will be forced throughthe mixing nipple 6. As this mixture flows past the series of ns 1, 8 it will be whirled first in one direction and then in the other and thus thoroughly mixed before it is discharged through the outlet spout of the container.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claim.

What I claim isz- Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular container closed at one end and having an outlet, a hopper arranged to deliver material into the container, a water line entering the container and terminating in the container underneath and adjacent the hopper and having an opening inside of the container, a valve accessible from the out` side of the container and arranged to control the opening to regulate the flow of water through l said water line and opening a valve controlled nozzle pipe leading from said water line and trminating in a. nozzle in the hopper and a mixing device incorporated into the container between the hopper and outlet through which the mixture in the container is forced onl its way to `said outlet.

THOMAS OBOYLE. 

